「Quiet Music」は、1983年から1986年にかけて、スティーヴ・ローチが「静けさ」に主眼を置いて制作した楽曲のコレクションです。フルート、エレクトリック・ピアノ、自然音とミックスされたシンセサイザーのやわらかな音色が、呼吸のように流れ、リスナーを持続的で繊細かつ透明な大気で包み込みます。もともと1986年に〈Fortuna Records〉から3本のカセットテープでリリースされたものですが、今回完全なシリーズとして初めてヴァイナルでリイシューされます。1984年に「Structures From Silence」がリリースされた後、スティーヴはロサンゼルスにある瞑想ヨガとヒーリングアートの新興コミュニティから音楽制作の依頼を受けました。「1」は、緑豊かな森林地帯や、野生の花々、自然の静けさといったイメージをフィーチャーした瞑想用ビデオのために制作。しかし、楽曲が完成する頃にはプロデューサーは亡くなり、プロジェクトは完成しませんでした。「1」における明確な環境との直接的な結びつきは、シリーズ全体のトーンを決定づけています。「2」は、スティーヴが長い期間を過ごしてきた砂漠にインスパイアされたもので、「Structures From Silence」の発展形として制作。また、「3」のノクターン的感覚は、スティーヴの個人的なヒーリングの実践のためにデザインされました。これらシリーズは、しばしば直線的なタイムラインでリリースされたものと見られることがありますが、実際は「Now」「Traveler」「Empetus」のようなダイナミックなエレクトロニック・アルバムと並行して作られました。 80年代初期のスティーヴは、シーケンサー・パーカッションを駆使した活力的なサウンドから、無重力空間を漂流するような瞑想的なサウンドへと移行していったのでしょう。この方向性は、当時ロサンゼルスの都市で多忙なペースで生活を送っていたスティーヴの、音響的な意味では一つの場所に留まらず、クリエイティヴで微調整可能な空間で自分自身を養い、落ち着いた再生ゾーンを作りたいという欲求から必然的に生まれたものでした。
Quiet Music is a collection of pieces created by Steve Roach between 1983 and 1986 in respect for silence. The gentle electronics of Roach's synthesizers mix with flute, electric piano and nature sounds flow like breath, enveloping the listener in a sustained, delicate and translucent atmosphere. Quiet Music was originally released as a three tape cassette series in 1986 on Fortuna Records and is now being issued as a complete series on vinyl for the first time ever. After Structures From Silence was released, Steve was receiving invitations to create music for the emerging meditation yoga and healing arts community in Los Angeles. Quiet Music 1 was originally commissioned for a meditation video, which featured a collection of video images of lush forested areas, wild flowers and natural serenity. But by the time the piece was completed the producer passed away and the project was never completed. Quiet Music 1’s direct connection to a distinct environment set the tone for the trilogy of albums. Quiet Music 2 was inspired by Steve spending a lot of time in deserts and was created as a natural progression from Structures From Silence, and the more nocturnal feeling of Quiet Music 3 were pieces designed for Steve’s personal healing practices. The Quiet Music series was released in a timeline that is often seen as linear but this music was created directly along side the dynamic fully electronic albums like Now, Traveler, and Empetus. In the early 80’s Steve would be shifting between the invigorating sequencer-percussive driven music and then move directly into weightless drifts and contemplative spaces. This way of creating grew naturally out of a desire to not settle into one place sonically and to nourish himself with a space that could be creative and fine tuned, creating a calm and renewing zone while living within the hectic pace of urban life in Los Angeles. Quiet Music will be released as three single LPs on January 17th, 2020. ▲
Quiet Music is a collection of pieces created by Steve Roach between 1983 and 1986 in respect for silence. The gentle electronics of Roach's synthesizers mix with flute, electric piano and nature sounds flow like breath, enveloping the listener in a sustained, delicate and translucent atmosphere. Quiet Music was originally released as a three tape cassette series in 1986 on Fortuna Records and is now being issued as a complete series on vinyl for the first time ever. After Structures From Silence was released, Steve was receiving invitations to create music for the emerging meditation yoga and healing arts community in Los Angeles. Quiet Music 1 was originally commissioned for a meditation video, which featured a collection of video images of lush forested areas, wild flowers and natural serenity. But by the time the piece was completed the producer passed away and the project was never completed. Quiet Music 1’s direct connection to a distinct environment set the tone for the trilogy of albums. Quiet Music 2 was inspired by Steve spending a lot of time in deserts and was created as a natural progression from Structures From Silence, and the more nocturnal feeling of Quiet Music 3 were pieces designed for Steve’s personal healing practices. The Quiet Music series was released in a timeline that is often seen as linear but this music was created directly along side the dynamic fully electronic albums like Now, Traveler, and Empetus. In the early 80’s Steve would be shifting between the invigorating sequencer-percussive driven music and then move directly into weightless drifts and contemplative spaces. This way of creating grew naturally out of a desire to not settle into one place sonically and to nourish himself with a space that could be creative and fine tuned, creating a calm and renewing zone while living within the hectic pace of urban life in Los Angeles. Quiet Music will be released as three single LPs on January 17th, 2020. ▲
